System and method for constructing modular wall structures

ABSTRACT

A modular wall assembly structure capable of withstanding adverse external forces such as extreme weather conditions is disclosed. The modular structure is formed from a plurality of substantially parallel framing studs. A wallboard panel is affixed to the framing studs, and a support component is attached to the rear side of the framing studs to provide tensile strength to the wall structure. The modular wall assembly structure can be used to prepare solid wall panels, window panels, door panels, and corner panels. The wall assembly structure is sufficiently strong to withstand hurricane force winds without being destroyed. A method for constructing a modular wall exterior wall structure is also provided.

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent applicationSer. No. 60/593,097, filed Dec. 9, 2004.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to building construction. In particular,the invention is directed to panel assemblies and methods used for theconstruction of load-bearing interior or exterior walls of buildings.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Different types of wallboard panels exist for use by the building andconstruction industry. These wallboard panels may be used for interioror exterior wall construction. Many wallboard panel products aremanufactured from gypsum, cement, chipboard, or other materials suitablefor construction purposes. These panels are used in conjunction withother assemblies to form modular units that are used to both economizeand reduce construction times of buildings and other types ofconstruction projects.

Many such wallboard panels are manufactured in a manner that does notallow them to withstand adverse environmental conditions such as highspeed winds, earthquakes, or hurricane conditions. The use of epoxy andsheet metal has allowed some wallboard panel manufacturers to constructwallboards that are reinforced in a manner that allows them to withstandincreased in-plane or shear loads imposed on them, for example, byweather and/or other stress inducing means.

Despite reinforcing wallboard panels to exhibit higher in-plane loadtolerances, the wallboard frame assembly system and method ofconstruction must also be able to withstand adverse conditions thatimpose various loading and forces. For example, while the wallboardpanel may be durable, its surrounding assembly must also assist insupporting the forces that are exhibited on the wallboard. Neglectingsuch an assembly may result in an overall failure of the structure towhich the wallboard is attached. Hence, the durability and strength ofthe wallboard under these conditions would be rendered moot in light ofthe potential disaster at hand. Moreover, the framing structure andreinforced wallboard panel should be made of durable material andfacilitate a modular easy-to-construct system for reducing constructioncomplexity and time.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide amodular wallboard system capable of withstanding adverse weatherconditions that may compromise the structural integrity of the modularsystem.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a modularwallboard system that is able to withstand experimental test conditionsin compliance with building code requirements, and in particular,Miami-Dade County (Florida) building codes.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a modularwallboard system that reduces construction times.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an embodiment of the present invention, a modular exterior wallassembly structure capable of withstanding adverse external forces isprovided. The wall modular assembly comprises a plurality of framingstuds having a front side, a rear side, a top end, and a bottom end,wherein the framing studs are arranged in a substantially parallelorientation relative to one another.

The modular assembly structure also comprises at least one wallboardpanel having a force resistant layer and a top layer that is adhered tothe force resistant layer. The force resistant layer is affixed to thefront side of the plurality of framing studs.

The modular assembly structure also comprises at least one supportcomponent attached to the rear side of the framing studs in asubstantially orthogonal orientation relative to the framing studs. Thesupport component is located at substantially the mid-point between thetop end and bottom end of the framing studs and provides tensile supportfor the framing studs.

In another embodiment of the invention, a method is provided forconstructing a modular exterior wall structure capable of withstandingextreme environmental conditions. The modular exterior wall structurecomprises a wallboard panel having a force resistant layer, a supportcomponent, and a plurality of substantially parallel oriented framingstuds.

The method comprises

(a) distributing the framing studs at a predetermined horizontalseparation distance;

(b) attaching the wallboard panel to the framing studs;

(c) attaching a top and bottom track to each end of the framing studs tomaintain the studs in a substantially parallel relationship; and

(d) attaching a support component at a substantially central locationbetween the top and bottom ends of the framing studs.

Additional embodiments of the invention will be evident from the Figuresand the detailed description below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a reinforced wallboard panel having a force-resistantlayer and a top layer that is adhered to the force-resistant layer foruse in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a framing structure for use in an embodiment of thepresent invention and formed from a plurality of framing studs joinedtogether by a support component, a top track, and a bottom track.

FIG. 3 is a view of a seal used in an embodiment of the invention tojoin two adjacent modular exterior wall assembly structures.

FIG. 4 is a front plan view of an embodiment of the present invention inwhich a modular exterior wall assembly structure is affixed to amonolithic slab.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the modular exterior wall assemblystructure shown in FIG. 4 taken along line 5-5.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the modular exterior wall assemblystructure shown in FIG. 4 taken along line 6-6.

FIG. 7 is a front plan view of a modular exterior wall assemblystructure of an embodiment of the present invention having a windowopening.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the modular exterior wall assemblystructure shown in FIG. 7 taken along line 8-8.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the modular exterior wall assemblystructure shown in FIG. 7 taken along line 9-9.

FIG. 10 is a front plan view of a modular exterior wall assemblystructure having a door opening according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the modular exterior wall assemblystructure shown in FIG. 10 taken along line 11-11.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the modular exterior wall assemblystructure shown in FIG. 10 taken along line 12-12.

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of a window panel section of the modularexterior wall assembly structure according to an embodiment the presentinvention.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of a door panel section of an embodiment ofthe modular exterior wall assembly structure according to an embodimentof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described withreference to the Figures. It is to be understood that the invention isnot limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, as variations of theelements and mode of construction are possible within the scope of theattached claims.

FIG. 1 illustrates a reinforced wallboard panel which may be used in theconstruction of an embodiment the present invention. The wall boardpanel may be comprised of a cementous material such as a cement board,and an adhered galvanized steel sheet for providing a load bearing panelcapable of withstanding various external loads and forces that mayoccur, for example, due to adverse environmental conditions (e.g.,hurricanes). The wall board panel may optionally have pre-drilled holesto facilitate attachment of the panel to the framing studs. Once thesteel sheet is adhered to the cement board, the wall board panel isattached to components of a framing structure (shown in FIG. 2) via aplurality of screws. In one embodiment of the invention, the reinforcedwall board is a Sure-Boards panel, distributed by Wellbilt InternationalInc., Miami, Fla., and prepared in accordance with U.S. Pat. No.5,768,841, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The screws provide a sufficient amount of coupling strength between thepanel and framing structure to which the panel is attached. The couplingstrength and structural stability of the framing components have beendesigned to be able to withstand various tests for ensuring compliancewith the High Velocity Hurricane Zone of the Miami-Dade County (Florida)Building Code. These tests include, but are not limited to, airinfiltration tests, static air pressure tests, large missile impacttests, fatigue loading tests, compression tests, racking tests, andtensile tests. In one embodiment of the invention, the wall assemblystructure is free of wood-containing materials.

FIG. 2 illustrates a framing structure formed from a plurality offraming studs joined together by a support component, a top track, and abottom track. The support component is located at about the midpoint ofthe parallel framing studs, and provides additional stability to theframing structure. The framing structure can be formed from any type ofmaterial which provide rigidity and stability to the wall assembly. Forexample, the framing structure can be formed from a metal such as steel,galvanized steel, or aluminum.

Each framing stud has openings which provide additional stability to theframing structure. The number and area of the openings, and the numberand dimensions of the framing studs, will vary depending upon theparticular embodiment of the invention. In one embodiment, the area ofthe openings is about 6 square inches, and the surface area for eachframing stud is about 4.5 square feet. In one embodiment, each framingstud has two openings. The openings can be used to allow the passage ofwires, pipes, or other items through the finished wall structure.

In one embodiment of the invention, one modular wall assembly structurecomprises a framing structure formed from four parallel framing studs.In this embodiment, the framing studs are about 16 inches apart, and thelength of the framing structure is about 4 feet.

As previously stated, a top track and a bottom track may be affixed tothe framing structure to provide additional support and stability to thewall assembly structure. An angle iron can be affixed to the top trackfor supporting a roof truss.

The bottom track can comprise securing means for anchoring the wallassembly to a fixed location, such as a building foundation or a slabsuch as a monolithic slab. The securing means can take any kind of form.For example, the securing means can be anchor attachments which affixthe bottom track to the fixed location. These anchor attachments can belocated at any point of the bottom track, such as at opposite ends ofthe bottom track. The securing means can also comprise screw attachmentswhich can be placed adjacent to the framing studs. In one embodiment,the screw attachments are placed adjacent to non-end framing studs, thatis, studs which are not located at the ends of the wall assembly. Thescrew attachments can be placed on opposite sides of these non-endframing studs. Alternatively, the screw attachments can be placed at anyposition on the bottom of the wall assembly structure. Washers may beused to provide additional stability to the wall assembly structure toprevents its movement during severe weather conditions. An example of awasher is a 3 inch square washer which is 0.25 inches thick.

The modular wall assembly structure comprises a support component. Thissupport component can be in the form of a bracing, such as a metalbracing. A single support component located at about the midpoint of theframing studs provides strength and rigidity to the modular wallassembly structure. Alternatively, a plurality of support components canbe used, and they can be located at any convenient position, such asnear the top and bottom ends of the wall assembly structure. The supportcomponent can be affixed to the framing studs using any convenientmeans, such as screws, bolds, or rivets. In one embodiment, three screwsare used to join the support component to the framing studs.

The modular wall assembly structure can used to build any wall sectionof a building. For example, the wall assembly structure can be a solidwall panel, a window panel, a panel adjacent to a window, a door panel,a panel adjacent to a door, or a corner panel. The particularorientation and placement of the components will depend upon theintended use of the wall assembly structure. Although the wall assemblystructure is especially useful for load-bearing walls, such as interioror exterior load-bearing walls, the invention can also be used forinterior walls.

Two or more modular assembly structures can be joined to form one ormore walls of a building. The assembly structures can be joined usingany convenient means, such as screws or bolts. Seals can be placed atthe interface between adjacent assembly structures to prevent water orair seepage through the completed wall. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional viewof a seal used to join two adjacent modular exterior wall assemblystructures according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 4-12, an embodiment of the present invention can beused to prepare different wall panels, such as solid wall panels (FIGS.4-6); window section panels (FIGS. 7-9); and door section panels (FIGS.10-12). These different types of panels can be built using the sameprinciples as discussed above, and advantageously have excellentresistance against extreme weather conditions. FIGS. 13 and 14 areisometric views of a window panel section and a door panel section,respectively, showing the construction of these structures in greaterdetail. In addition, all these panels satisfy the Miami-Dade County(Florida) High-Velocity Hurricane Zone building code, which has astringent building code with regard to protection against hurricanes andother extreme weather conditions.

Numerous modifications and variations of embodiments of the presentinvention are possible in light of the above teachings, and therefore,within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practicedotherwise than as particularly described.

1. A modular exterior wall assembly structure capable of withstandingadverse external forces, the wall modular assembly comprising: aplurality of framing studs having a front side, a rear side, a top end,and a bottom end, wherein the framing studs are arranged in asubstantially parallel orientation relative to one another; at least onewallboard panel comprising a force resistant layer and a top layer thatis adhered to the force resistant layer, wherein the force resistantlayer is affixed to the front side of the plurality of framing studs;and at least one support component attaching to the rear side of theframing studs in a substantially orthogonal orientation relative to theframing studs, the support component located at substantially themid-point between the top end and bottom end of the framing studs, thesupport component providing tensile support for the framing studs. 2.The modular wall assembly structure according to claim 1, wherein: eachof the framing studs has not more than two openings, each opening havingan area no larger than about 6 square inches, wherein the openingsprovide an increased structural strength to the wall assembly structure;and each framing stud has a surface area of about 4.5 square feet. 3.The modular wall assembly structure according to claim 1, wherein themaximum stud separation for the framing studs is about 16 inches,wherein the maximum stud separation provides an increased structuralstrength to the wall assembly structure.
 4. The modular wall assemblystructure according to claim 1, further comprising a top track affixedto the top end of the framing studs, the top track for maintaining theframing studs in a substantially parallel orientation.
 5. The modularwall assembly structure according to claim 4, further comprising anangle iron attached to the top track, the angle iron for supporting aroof truss.
 6. The modular wall assembly structure according to claim 1,further comprising a bottom track affixed to the bottom end of theframing studs, wherein the bottom track receives securing means foranchoring the wall assembly to a fixed location.
 7. The modular wallassembly structure according to claim 6, wherein the securing meanscomprises: at least two anchor attachments for securing opposite ends ofthe bottom track to the fixed location; and at least two screwattachments for securing the bottom track to the fixed location, the twoscrew attachments attached adjacent to at least one of the framingstuds.
 8. The modular wall assembly structure according to claim 7,wherein the anchor attachments further comprise a washer for furtherstabilizing the bottom track to the fixed location.
 9. The modular wallassembly structure according to claim 7, wherein the fixed location is amonolithic slab.
 10. The modular wall assembly structure according toclaim 8, wherein the washer is a square washer having a side length ofat least 3 inches and a thickness of at least 0.25 inches.
 11. Themodular wall assembly structure according to claim 1, wherein thestructure is free of wood-containing materials.
 12. The modular wallassembly structure according to claim 1, wherein the framing studs areconstructed from galvanized steel.
 13. The modular wall assemblystructure according to claim 1, wherein the top layer of the wallboardpanel is constructed of a cementous material.
 14. The modular wallassembly structure according to claim 1, wherein the force resistantlayer is constructed from galvanized steel and provides an increasedresistance to in-plane loads.
 15. The modular wall assembly structureaccording to claim 1, wherein the support component, the top track, thebottom track, and the framing studs are constructed from steel.
 16. Themodular wall assembly structure according to claim 1, wherein thesupport component is affixed to each of the framing studs using aminimum of three screws.
 17. The modular wall assembly structureaccording to claim 15, wherein the support component is a metal bracingstrap having a width of about 6 inches.
 18. The modular wall assemblystructure according to claim 1, wherein the wall assembly structure is asolid wall panel, a window panel, a panel adjacent to a window, a doorpanel, a panel adjacent to a door, or a corner panel.
 19. The modularwall assembly structure according to claim 1, wherein: the wall assemblystructure comprises four framing studs, each separated by about 16inches; and the wall assembly structure is about 4 feet long.
 20. Themodular wall assembly structure according to claim 1, wherein the wallassembly structure is capable of passing the High-Velocity HurricaneBuilding Zone code requirements of Miami-Dade County (Florida).
 21. Amethod of constructing a modular exterior wall structure capable ofwithstanding extreme environmental conditions, the modular exterior wallstructure comprising a wallboard panel having a force resistant layer, asupport component, and a plurality of substantially parallel orientedframing studs, the method comprising the steps of: (a) distributing theframing studs at a predetermined horizontal separation distance; (b)attaching the wallboard panel to the framing studs; (c) attaching a topand bottom track to each end of the framing studs to maintain theframing studs in a substantially parallel relationship; and (d)attaching a support component at a substantially central locationbetween the top and bottom end of the framing studs.
 22. The methodaccording to claim 21, further comprising the step of: (e) securing thebottom track to a foundation using a plurality of fixture components,the fixture components comprising: at least two wedge anchors driveninto the foundation at each end of the bottom track; and at least twoscrew devices driven into the foundation adjacent to a framing studwhich is not located at either end of the wall structure.
 23. The methodaccording to claim 22, further comprising the step of: (f) coupling anend stud located at one end of the wall assembly structure with arespective end stud associated with a second wall structure constructedin accordance with steps (a)-(d) to obtain an exterior wall formed froma plurality of modular wall assembly structures.
 24. The methodaccording to claim 23, further comprising the step of: (g) coupling anangle iron to the top track of the a modular exterior walls formaintaining straight line alignment between the plurality of modularexterior walls.
 25. The method according to claim 24, wherein thefoundation is a monolithic slab.
 26. The method according to claim 21,wherein the framing studs are formed from steel.
 27. A modular exteriorwall assembly structure capable of passing the High-Velocity HurricaneBuilding Zone code requirements of Miami-Dade County (Florida).
 28. Themodular exterior wall assembly structure according to claim 27, whereinthe wall assembly structure comprises a plurality of framing studs, awallboard panel, and a support component.